One of a Kind PetsPet Rescue | Adoption Center | Spay & Neuter Clinic2015-02-26T21:15:40Zhttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/feed/atom/WordPressOne of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8992015-02-10T20:04:21Z2015-02-10T20:04:21ZFebruary is National Spay/Neuter Awareness month, a topic that is very close to our heart and an important part of our mission. Getting your pet spayed or neutered can:
Reduce the number of homeless pets killed
Improve your pet’s health
Reduce unruly behavior
Save on the cost of pet care

Save Animal Lives
Every community across the county has homeless animals. Many people are surprised to learn that nationwide, more than 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters annually. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.

Health Benefits
Spayed females are at less risk for infections of the reproductive tract. Neutered males will not develop testicular tumors and will be less prone to prostate and associated urinary problems. Cats, in particular, will have less exposure to diseases such as feline leukemia and the feline AIDS virus if they are spayed/neutered. They will fight less and likely not be mating, which means they will be avoiding the most common ways these feline diseases are spread.

Behavioral Benefits
Behavior problems are lessened when a pet is spayed or neutered. Males tend to exhibit fewer testosterone-driven behaviors, such as urine marking, aggression and roaming. Females are less likely to fight as well.

Cost Cutting
Caring for a pet with reproductive system cancer can easily run into the thousands of dollars. Additionally, unaltered pets can be more destructive or high-strung around other dogs, with fighting often as a result. Serious fighting is more common between unaltered pets of the same gender and the resulting injuries can be very costly to treat.

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8842015-01-14T20:17:21Z2015-01-14T20:17:21ZIf you made a resolution this year to lose weight or exercise more, National Walk Your Pet Month is here to help you along! Use your common sense when walking, don’t let your dog jump into water if it’s freezing outside, and avoid sidewalks with chemical de-icer. Some chemical de-icers can be harmful to pets and your dog may ingest it later while licking its paws. If you do walk on it, give your pet’s paws a good rinse when you get home.

If you want to do a good deed while walking, download the Walk For A Dog app by WoofTrax. You can select your favorite shelter, and then activate it each time you go out for a walk. A donation is made to your selected shelter based on the number of miles you log each quarter!

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8772015-01-12T18:10:43Z2015-01-12T18:10:43ZWe would like share some facts about feral cats:

Myth: Feral cats lead short, miserable lives so it’s best to trap and euthanize them.
Fact: Studies show that feral cats have about the same lifespan as pet cats. And they contract diseases at about the same rate. It is simply not humane to euthanize a healthy feral cat, and this practice does not reduce their populations over the long-term because other cats move in and start breeding.

Myth: Feral cats are diseased and can make pet cats or people sick.
Fact: Feral cats are generally healthy. The incidence of disease in feral cats is no higher than among owned cats. Feral cats avoid human contact, especially with unfamiliar people. They aren’t interested in interacting with humans.

Myth: Feral cats should be taken to animal shelters so they can be adopted.
Fact: Feral cats are not pet cats. Feral cats are not interested in interacting with humans and can be defensive when approached in a caged-in environment, which causes them to be euthanized at most shelters. During kitten season feral mothers are often trapped and euthanized leaving their nursing kittens behind. Even no-kill shelters like One of A Kind are not able to place feral cats in homes.

Myth: Feral cats are predators that deplete wildlife.
Fact: Studies show that the overwhelming cause of population decline in birds is the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat such as man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, etc. — not feral cats.

Myth: Feral Cats are homeless.
Fact: The outdoors IS their home! Feral cats have been living outdoors, alongside humans for thousands of years. Adult feral cats are not like strays; they usually cannot be socialized and are most content living outside. On the other hand, strays and feral kittens can often be placed in homes.

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8742015-01-12T18:07:42Z2015-01-12T18:07:42ZYour kids go to the pediatrician once a year, and you see your dentist every 6 months, so why aren’t people taking their cats to the veterinarian for routine care? According to the American Humane Society, cats go the veterinarian half as often as dogs and many people only take their cat to the vet when their cat is sick.

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day is a great reminder to make an appointment with your veterinarian. An annual exam should include:

Physical Exam – to check for signs of illness. Your vet will also do a head-to-tail exam to look for changes or abnormalities. The earlier medical issues are discovered and addressed the better the outcome.

Immunizations – an important way to protect your pet from preventable infectious diseases. Your veterinarian will determine which vaccines your cat needs depending on their age, lifestyle and risk exposure.

Parasite Prevention – checking your cat for external parasites like fleas, ticks and ear mites, and a check of a stool sample for internal parasites, like roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and coccidia.

Labwork – screening blood tests are an important way to detect diseases early, even before they become symptomatic. As cats age, diseases like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and kidney disease become more common.

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8702015-01-12T18:03:07Z2015-01-12T18:03:07ZMicrochips are the only truly permanent method of identifying your dog or cat. Microchips greatly increase the chances that you’ll get your pet back if he/she is lost or stolen…but a microchip only works if its registration information is accurate.

To remind pet owners to have their pets microchipped and to keep the registration information up-to-date, AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.” If you need to update your microchip information, here are your options:

If you adopted from One of A Kind Pet Rescue – all adopted animals are automatically registered with 24PetWatch. During the first year you may update the address for free, but after the first year you have to purchase either an annual or lifetime maintenance plan to be allowed to update. To update your chip or to purchase a plan, please contact 24PetWatch at 1-866-597-2424.

If you adopted your pet from another organization – you will need to contact the organization that registered the microchip. If you don’t know which registry to contact, use the AAHA’s Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool at www.petmicrochiplookup.org. You will need to input the microchip number, and the tool will tell you which registry is connected to that microchip and will provide the contact information.

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8672015-01-12T18:00:38Z2015-01-12T18:00:38ZThe American Lyme Disease Foundation has declared April as Lyme Disease Prevention Month because spring is when Deer Ticks are surfacing across North America. Deer Ticks transmit Lyme disease infection when they bite a dog’s skin. Once it’s in the blood stream, the Lyme disease organism is carried throughout the body, generally settling into the joints.

When a dog has Lyme disease, lameness and limping are common symptoms, as well as a high fever. However, because these and other Lyme disease symptoms may be delayed or go unrecognized, Lyme disease in dogs may not be considered until other diseases have been ruled out or the infection has spread throughout the dog.

How to prevent your dog from getting Lyme disease:
1. Limit exposure to areas where ticks live, such as leaves and short trees in grassy, wooded and sandy areas.
2. If you walk your dog on trails, stay away from the wooded or tall grass areas.
3. After each walk, inspect your dog and your family for ticks and remove any that you find. Never touch the ticks when removing them, use tweezers and gloves for dog tick removal. To remove a tick, grasp the tick’s body as close as possible to where the tick is attached to your dog’s skin and apply gentle but steady pressure backward.
4. Discourage wildlife from visiting your yard and garden. Many types of wildlife such as birds, squirrels, raccoons, skunks and deer carry ticks and can leave them in your yard and/or garden when visiting.
5. Treat your pet with Frontline Plus for Dogs. This over-the-counter topical medication can easily be applied monthly to control both fleas and ticks. Frontline Plus can be purchased at the One of A Kind Pet Rescue Adoption Center in single month applications or in a multipack. If you have an outdoor cat, consider picking up Frontline Plus for Cats too!

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8622015-01-12T17:58:42Z2015-01-12T17:58:42ZAn allergy is a sensitivity of your immune system to something that is ordinarily harmless. When your body tries to get rid of the allergen, you experience symptoms like sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, and a runny, stuffy nose. Allergies caused by pollen and other allergens affect 40 million Americans and cost more than $1 billion in annual treatment costs.

Typical allergens include pet dander, pollen, dust mites, and mold. If you’re allergic to cats or dogs, you are not allergic to their fur, but to the dander (dead skin cells) found in their fur, and proteins found in their saliva or urine. Allergens (particularly saliva proteins) can latch on to the hair, especially when pets groom themselves. While there’s no rock-solid evidence that smaller pets trigger fewer allergy symptoms than large, experts say they probably produce fewer total allergens, as they shed less in total.

Does this mean you have to live your life without a furry friend? Not necessarily!
There are options, if you are willing to try them:
 Try giving your pet a bath every week. This can significantly reduce the allergen count.
 Keep the pet away from your bedroom, especially when you are sleeping.
 After touching a pet, keep your hands away from your eyes until you’ve had a chance to wash them.

Cats and dogs aren’t generally able to tolerate regular soap and water well when it comes to cleaning. Because they are entirely covered in fur, their skin is far more sensitive underneath, and will react to the drying chemicals in traditional soap. Available at the One of A Kind Pet Rescue retail store is the Allerpet/C solution for cats, and the Allerpet/D solution for dogs. Just dampen a washcloth, sponge or mitt with Allerpet solution and wipe over your pet’s hair, both with and against the way it lays to cleanse it of saliva and dander. Allerpet conditions skin, too, so your pet doesn’t groom himself as often.

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8272014-09-02T18:39:13Z2014-09-02T18:39:13ZA poly dactyl cat is a cat with a congenital physical anomaly called poly dactyly, a type of cat body-type genetic mutation that causes the cat to be born with more than the usual number of toes on one or more of its paws. Poly dactyl cats are not a specific breed, and the trait can be found among all breeds.

Normal cats have a total of 18 toes, with five toes on each front paw and four toes on each hind paw. Poly dactyl cats may have as many as eight toes on their front and/or hind paws. Various combinations of anywhere from four to seven toes per paw are common, and is usually found on the front paws only.

Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway was famous for being fond of poly dactyl cats after being given a six-toed cat. Upon Hemingway’s death in 1961, his former home in Key West, Florida, became a museum and a home for his cats, and currently cares for approximately fifty descendants of his cats (about half of which are visibly poly dactyl). Because of his love for these animals, poly dactyl cats are sometimes referred to as “Hemingway Cats”. You may also hear them referred to as “mitten kittens.”

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8252014-09-02T18:33:59Z2014-09-02T18:33:59ZFebruary 23rd is National Dog Biscuit Day, also known as International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. The history of canine treats shows that earlier versions were quite a bit different than today’s variety. Dog treats used to include stale, moldy bread, rotting leftovers and rock-hard biscuits made out of grain. But American James Spratt changed that on a trip to England in the mid-1800s when he saw hungry, stray dogs scavenging for leftover food. It wasn’t long before he developed a cake-like biscuit comprised of meat, grains and vegetables called “Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes”. Then in 1908, the F. H. Bennett Biscuit Co. of New York developed hard-baked, bone-shaped biscuits comprised of various minerals, cow’s milk and meat products, the Milk-Bone.

Dog treats have come a long way over the years. Treats not only taste good, they can help clean dogs’ teeth and be used as a reward for good behavior. Use treats (or recipes) formulated for specifically for dogs. These should taste good to your dog and won’t upset their stomach. Also consider using fresh vegetables as treats. Look for high-fiber, low-calorie options such as carrots, green beans or broccoli. Remember to check the calorie count of the treats you are using, and factor them in on your dog’s daily dietary needs so you don’t unintentionally cause your dog to add a few pounds.

One of A Kind Pet Rescue carries a variety of treats for your pet – stop in to see our selection today!

]]>0One of a Kind Eventshttp://www.oneofakindpets.com/site/?p=8192014-09-02T18:28:43Z2014-09-02T18:28:43ZDon’t turn your nose to your dog or cat’s bad breath! That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your pet’s teeth and gums but its internal organs as well. Brushing is the best preventative to dental decay and many dogs and some cats will tolerate having their teeth brushed if the introduction to brushing is managed gently and gradually. Dental treats such as chews can also be effective by mechanically scraping the tooth surface.

There are a number of signs that dental disease has already started:
Red, swollen gums and brownish teeth.
Bad breath—Most pets have breath that is less than fresh, but if it becomes really bad, similar to the smell of a rotten egg, it’s a sign that periodontal disease has already started.
Bleeding from the mouth.
Frequent pawing or rubbing at the face and/or mouth.
Reluctance to eat hard foods—for example, picking it up and then spitting it out.

Dental procedures, such as cleanings and extractions, are now available at the One of A Kind Pets Spay & Neuter Clinic. All procedures require the use of anesthesia, so pets would need to be dropped off between 7:30-8:00 a.m. and picked up between 5:00-5:30 p.m. Please call our Clinic for more information or to schedule an appointment at 330.865.6890.